Sergei leans across me and pulls my seatbelt over my chest, sliding it down my body then locks it in place. Every action, every move, every sound is heightened.
“I wouldn’t want you to get hurt,” he says.
I swing my head to look at him and see his smile dancing on his face. How can someone that looks like him be so evil?
“Come on, that was a joke, love.” He sits back in his chair and chuckles to himself.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him and even longer since I’ve seen him like this. Like the man I met when he convinced me to be his wife, easy going, carefree and happy.
It won’t last though, because it is a lie.
All the cars pull out of the carpark, us amongst them, turning in different directions onto the street. Some speed off, some drive slow but each with their direct destination in mind.
“Obviously, after the debacle you’ve caused, we can’t stay here,” he says. “Which is good because this city is tiresome. So, I told the family the good news, and wedding plans have already started. We should be in Moscow in a few weeks, so there’s plenty of time to get you all caught up.”
It’s like the last eighteen months have vanished, wiped away. We’re back to where we were, at least for him that is. But this is new for me, because I never had Ren, and no way can I do what I did before and bide my time and play along. We knew this could happen. That he could take me there. For some reason, this makes me feel confident, and my resolve starts to rebuild.
So, I take my time and decide to not rock the boat. I sit and don’t say a word.
“I must admit, you have kept me on my toes the past week. Vitali’s men too. I’ve been watching them scampering around, keeping tabs on all my businesses.” His eyes dance with delight enjoying the game he’s created.
“Hell, I can’t even get a coffee without seeing one of his men lurking in the shadows.” He chuckles and strokes his chin. “You know, I’ve quite enjoyed the challenge.”
He turns to face me, and his eyes drift down to my lips, and then across my body. His eyes darken and he licks his lips with greedy lust.
“It’s made the chase that much more thrilling, and the win taste that much sweeter. Or will taste that much sweeter.”
The promise is there, I hear it loud and clear.
“But,” he announces brightly, and sits straight again. “All’s well that ends well. And your little outburst in front of your father the other day certainly put him in quite the mood. He was more than willing to offer me his assistance.”
“My father?” That gets my attention and I engage.
“Oh, I almost forgot!” He ignores my question and leans in. “The Devils Rejects have quite a grudge with me. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that would you?”
If anything could scare me to my core, it’s that.
Don’t let him see Lilly. Do. Not. Let. Him. See.
“I’ve been away remember,” I say and lift my chin with false confidence. “And it wasn’t my choice to come back to Sydney, so I have no idea what you’ve done to them now.”
I even turn my head to face the window and wait for whatever is to come next. Depending on what Sergei is sitting beside me, that could be devastating, but if I know him at all, his mood is so bright that I have a bit longer before he loses it.
I feel his eyes burning into me, but he draws a long breath and thankfully, I’m right. He doesn’t challenge me, instead we sit in silence. And I use the quiet time to covertly scan for any sign of Ren or his men, praying they aren’t far behind.
They have changed directions so many times that I have no idea where we are, or what time it is. Every turn is so sharp and the roads so twisted, I lost track a long time ago. He must be worried, I don’t remember a time the security was this intense.
Eventually, we pull into a large wharf. There are shipping containers lining the long dock, and ships waiting for their cargo. However, it is not the same port he took me to, and not one Ren would be watching. We drive past a large metal sign and the name on it is one I remember hearing around the house. The port dad was so eager to keep access to.
Ren’s port.
I turn to Sergei, and he’s already looking at me.
“I wish you could see the look on your face right now. Priceless.” He chuckles, shaking his head with those dimples.
“I… I don’t understand.” I watch as he glows, a glint in his eyes.
“Well, they are so busy chasing their own tails, no one would even think to be watching their own docks,” he says, like duh, catch up Lilly.